A/N: Because I fucked up when uploading, and teased fanatla with the concept of a second chapter, I decided to write one up for them as an apology! So here ya go! Well, I guess this is more of a sequel than a second chapter, but meh, a promise is a promise! Hopefully it doesn't suck too badly cause I wrote this in like thirty minutes, because I gotta go to work, and felt bad for teasing fanatla like that. I COULD say I'll re-write it, but I'm a lazy piece of shit, and probably won't.

At forty, Monk Gyatso was no longer considered a young man, nor was he considered old. The most spiritually enlightened Air Nomad could live to be well over one-hundred. Gyatso tried to keep that in mind whenever his bones would creak, and with every growing line of silver that dabbled comfortably in his beard. The monk tried to tell himself the lines that edged his face showed experience and wisdom, rather than a herald of his ever-approaching death. He no longer sympathized with the perils the youth were facing around the temple, but more felt weary by their shameless games. Gyatso supposed he should be a bit more forgiving, after all, he too was a teenager once, and had is own burst of hormonal troubles.

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Gyatso sighed in frustration. The monk had not seen the avatar in over twenty years, and yet, even to this day, his memory still invaded Gyatso's thoughts, like an unwanted fly always buzzing around his ears. He had heard tales of Roku, of course. The tales told of a boy who not only mastered all four elements quicker than what was to be expected, but that Roku had shaped up to be possibly one of the greatest avatars in their history. Gyatso had heard all of this, and was proud of his friend, but it was the news that Roku finally wed the love of his life, Ta Min, that lingered in this thoughts.

It was foolish to hold onto a crush from when he was merely sixteen, but the avatar had shaken Gyatso to the core. Everything that Gyatso thought he knew about himself was challenged by the presence of some shaggy-haired firebender. He had been so focused on becoming a great airbending master, that the equation of possibly going against everything he knew for some baseless emotions had thrown him into a loop. Even now, Gyatso will find himself gazing up at the sun, until his eyes burned, wondering if he could have given it all up for the man.

"Gyatso, you must come with me," Tashi demanded, after bursting his way into Gyatso's private quarters.

Gyatso calmly put his brush down, having long since learned to deal with Tashi's brusque attitude. "What seems to be the emergency?"

"We have a visitor, an important visitor."

Gyatso raised an eyebrow, intrigued. It was not often a member from a separate nation visited their air temple. "And who might this important visitor be?"

Monk Tashi looked Gyatso square in the eye, "The avatar."

Gyatso sucked in a breath of air, steadying himself. "I see. If you could please give the avatar my regards, I am quite too busy with my studies at the moment, and cannot take time to see him."

"Cut the crap, Gyatso," Tashi said sharply. "We both know what this is really about."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Gyatso said, astounded by how calm his voice sounded.

"You know, Gyatso, I never took you to be a coward." Was it just Gyatso, or did Tashi look strangely disappointed?

"Regardless of what you might think, I'm really quite busy." Gyatso picked up his brush, and bent back over his scroll. "If that is all, you know where the door is."

Tashi sneered, and stormed out. It was only then that Gyatso realized his hands were shaking. Gyatso dropped his head to the table with a loud groan. Why now, he wondered to himself. Why, after all these years, did Roku decide to return?

The Southern Air Temple was not a small place, but it still amazed Gyasto how easily he was able to evade the avatar. It probably also helped that the young monks were quite gossipy, and Gyatso could easily track his movements just from hearsay. Teenagers are good for one thing, I suppose, Gyatso chuckled to himself. Gyatso was just starting to feel confident that he actually might be able to avoid from seeing the avatar during the entirety of his visit. Of course, the spirits had other plans in mind.

"So this is where you have been hiding." The avatar was leaning against the wall, casually eyeing Gyatso as his walked into the waiting ambush inside of his bedroom. Gyatso ignored the man's presence, walking around him, and began tidying up his room. There was ink splattered all over the table, scrolls littering the floor, and a few fruit pies that were probably hard as rocks rotting on his bedside. Honestly, this room was not up to the standards the monk liked to pride himself on. If he was being honest with himself, it was Roku's visit that was keeping him from tidying up as he should. The man was just too distracting.

"Why are you avoiding me, Gyatso?" Roku's eyes had quite a few laugh lines around them, but right now, there was no laughter evident. The man just looked sad.

"I'm not avoiding you. I've just been busy."

"That's fucking bullshit, and you know it!" Gyatso finally looked the avatar in the face. Roku was teeming with anger, and every line of his body was tense. "I haven't seen you in over twenty years, and this is how you treat me?"

"Exactly," Gyatso said coldly, knowing exactly how much his words would hurt. "We haven't seen each other in so long, I did not realize I owed you anything."

Roku punched the wall, smoke rising from his knuckles. "We were friends, Gyatso, or at least I thought we were. I wrote to you! Constantly! Yet you never even wrote me back." Roku paused, breathing deeply to settle himself. "You didn't even come to my wedding."

It was as if the last thread holding Gyatso together finally snapped. "Why the fuck would you think I would want to go to that?"

Fire burst from the avatar, surrounding him like a deathly aura. "What did I ever do to you? You were my best friend here! Tell me!" Roku roared, and slammed his burning fist right into Gyatso's face.

Gyatso dropped to the floor, feeling his skin bubble under the heat. Just like Gyatso suspected. Every time he tried to reach for the sun, he would get burned.

"Oh shit!" Roku dropped down beside where Gyatso was splayed across the floor, cupping his cheek in his now cool hand. "I am so sorry, Gyatso!"

"Why did you come back?" Gyatso's voice cracked, and tears leaked down his swollen cheek.

"I just-" Roku paused, gulping down a lungful of air. "I just wanted to see my friend again."

Gyatso could not take it anymore. He lunged up, grabbing Roku from his opulent collar, and pressing his chapped lips against the avatar's. The kiss must have lasted but a second, but the heat emanating from Roku's body settled into Gyatso's bones. It was like he was flying on his glider, and finally was able to pull a piece of the sun from the sky for himself, but even Gyatso knew that was just a fantasy.

Gyatso slowly pulled back from the avatar, and whispered against his lips, "That's why we can't be friends."

Gyatso slumped over, facing the floor so he wouldn't have to see the look on Roku's face. Was it shock? Fear? Loathing? Gyatso would never know, because Roku silently stood to his feet, and then walked out of Gyatso's life forever. It hurt so much. Gyatso felt like every nerve in his body was burnt to a crisp. With the sun shining down on the monk from his window, he began to laugh.